Language Change Flashcards
Globalisation
The process by which the world is becoming increasing interconnected as a result of increased trade and cultural change
Migration
The move rn of people from one place to another
Political correctness
Language use to minimise offence to groups (gender, race etc.)
Loan words
A word adopted from another language
Eponym
A person place or thing named after its creator
Proprietary names
A name of a product or service that is trademarked
Neologisms
A brand new word
Affixation
Adding a prefix, suffix or changing word class to create a new word
Blend
Two words fusing to make another
Clipping
Abbreviating words
Compound
Combining separate words to create a new one
Back formation
Removing prefix or suffix to create a new word
Initialism
Using initials of words eg. BBC FBI
What is AO1?
Terminology
What is AO2?
Knowledge about how language changes
What is AO3?
References to context eg. Reasons for change in history
Amelioration
A word takes on a more positive meaning
Pretty
Pejoration
A word takes on a more negative meaning
Idiot
Weaking
The word meaning loses its strength
Loving
Narrowing
A word becomes more specific
Meat
Broadening
A word keeps its original meaning but gains more
Place
Key features of 18th century texts
- non standard spelling and grammar
- long s
Who was Dr Johnson?
Writer of the first English dictionary of its kind
When was Dr Johnsons dictionary written and published?
1755
What is standardisation and when did it occur?
The standardising of spelling and grammar of the English language in the 18th century
What standardisations occurred?
- dictionaries fixed meanings of words
- printing and prescriptivism fixed syntactical rules
- spelling standardised
- printing allowed uniformity with writing and children were taught handwriting styles
Lexicon
The vocabulary of a person or language
Prescriptivism
An attitude that sees English as something that must be protected and has correct and incorrect uses
Descriptivism
An attitude that there are no right or wrong ways to use English
Bidialectism
The idea that modern English users switch between varieties of dialect dependant on context
Bex’s genre theory
Genres have typical features and the ideologies can change
Synthetic personalisation
A text gives the impression of treating each member of an audience as an individual
Immediacy
The impact technological advances has had on the speed at which information can be exchanged which led to a shift in response times
